Ja Morant hopped out of his black truck at Halle Park, and more than 100 kids between the ages of 13 and 15 who had no clue they'd be meeting the Grizzlies star let out screams while Morant did a quick wave from about 70 yards away.

"Ja! Ja! Ja!" The kids chanted while Morant posed for a few promotional photos with his brand partner, Body Armor, then he made his way to the kids, dancing like only he could. The Memphis Grizzlies star first did the Dougie dance as he walked toward the kids, then he broke out the Griddy as kids stood beside him and joined in.

Morant spent a little more than an hour at the four Mt. Moriah precinct basketball courts. They are part of 13 basketball courts refurbished across Memphis in a project on which Morant teamed up with Coke Consolidated and Body Armor.

The nine locations included Glenview, Alcy, Bickford Park, Washington, Gooch, CW Davis, Pine Hill, Lewis-Davis and Halle.

The court surfaces at Halle Park are completely redone with a Body Armor logo placed at center court, new designs and new rims.

"It definitely means a lot to give back to a city that's brought me and my family in and made us feel at home," Morant said.

The project is particularly special at Halle Park. One of the most popular outdoor basketball settings in Memphis, Halle has been one of the main locations for some of the city's best players. In recent years, former Memphis Tigers Chris Crawford, Joe Jackson, Dedric Lawson, K.J. Lawson and Melrose High star Chris Jones have played at Halle.

Now, the next generation of players who mold their game at one of those nine locations will see Morant's name entrenched on top of the basketball goals, and a picture of him winding back a two-handed dunk.

"It's big time," Morant. "Me being in Memphis for a couple years now, I've got relationships with some of the youngers guys who are top players in this city, and I feel like it starts at this age right here, where you have these kids to go out, play basketball and continue to work on their game."

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Morant's comfortableness around the kids was apparent from the moment he stepped onto the court. After shaking hands and dancing, Morant removed a towel that was draped over his shoulders, removed his slides and pulled on a pair Jordan retro 11 Breds sneakers.

A group of the kids, all from Memphis Parks teens camp, lined up for a quick 1-on-1 battle against the Grizzlies star. The first player got the ball, dribbled, stepped back and hit a shot in front of Morant that sent the other kids into a frenzy. That celebration lasted all of 10 seconds after Morant got the ball right back and scored at the rim for an easy two points.

No other kid got close to scoring. Morant swatted the next guy's shot and did a quick two-handed dunk that impressed the kids.

Morant walked onto each of the four basketball courts at Halle, where he helped a group of kids go through basketball drills and encouraged them after makes and misses. The generosity is a moment the Memphis kids will have entrenched in their lives forever.

Contact Damichael Cole at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com and on Twitter @damichaelc

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant helps refurbish local basketball courts